


a dream that won't end

by boys_in (kaleidosphere)



Series: HenryWeek2020 [2]
Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Canon-Typical Violence, Dreams, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, I don't think I've written the word 'kiss' as much as i have for this fic., Implied Sexual Content, Kissing, Light Angst, Lots of kissing, Nightmares, Past Lives, The rating is just to be safe tbh the implied sexual content is like barely there
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-12
Updated: 2020-11-12
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:07:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27518875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaleidosphere/pseuds/boys_in
Summary: It felt so real.
Relationships: Henry/Olivia (Fire Emblem)
Series: HenryWeek2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2007532
Kudos: 17





	a dream that won't end

**Author's Note:**

> This is written for Day 3 of [HenryWeek2020!](https://twitter.com/HenryWeek2020) The prompt is "modern au" and I decided to play around with the idea of Henry remembering himself (and Olivia, of course) from their lives in Awakening. Check out the [the rest of the tag on twitter!](https://twitter.com/hashtag/HenryWeek2020?src=hashtag_click)

He hadn't come to appreciate Olivia for all she was worth.

Their story was simple, really: Henry and Olivia met as project partners in college-level psychology, and retained their friendship even after semesters had passed though neither of them stuck with the majors they first picked. Henry switched over to environmental science, and Olivia followed her heart to major in dance. It was risky business, as STEM courses were no laughing matter, and dedicating one's life to one's passion was an uphill battle on its own. Yet, they were determined to succeed, and they stuck by each other's side to prove it.

When Olivia graduated first, Henry congratulated her with a bouquet of flowers and a smile. She returned the favor by kissing him, _passionately_ , in the middle of the parking lot for all the world to see.

Everything fell into place after that.

Now, a few years later, the two of them shared an apartment and lived together. They shared custody of a black cat that loved crawling over their laptops and scratching at their legs, but lovingly so. They slept in the same bed together, both literally and metaphorically, but sometimes passed out on the couch watching movies if they were too lazy to get up, or even cuddled up on the floor because they felt the need to. Other times, they went for walks in the local park together, strolling by the gardens and feeding the flocks of birds that gathered around Henry like moths to a flame. It was funny, losing sight of him in a small black cloud of crows, but Olivia thought it was fate.

Sometimes, she was more accurate than she knew.

The truth was, Henry had dreams and visions of himself from another world. Or, as he liked to consider it, a past life.

In these dreams, he wore dark-colored robes and carried spellbooks, hands aching with black magic running through his veins in lieu of blood. He saw beautiful spouts of flame and arcs of lightning, as well as gales that picked up and formed a small tornado on their own. But at the same time, he envisioned darkness, malleable and tangible as clay in his hands, forming whatever horrific shape he so desired. Crosses. Nails. Blades. Hands. Veins. Whatever abomination of life he thought to create, he created it. And when he cast such spells against the enemy, he watched with bated breath as their bodies twisted, curled, _contorted_ at his will, voices screaming out for mercy and God and whoever else would listen.

The smile on Henry's face was maniacal, mechanical, _cold._

It felt so real.

And Olivia would be there, too. She'd be dressed as a dancer, but in silks and golds more fancier than was necessary. He couldn't deny her beauty, even in his dreams, as she floated away like a butterfly at the edge of his fingertips. When he reached out further to grasp her, his hands met her silk scarves, fingers clutched around the fabric as she herself disappeared.

Into thin air.

When Henry dreamt again, he pictured Olivia— _dead._ Olivia, with a sword through her chest, graceful hands grasping for purchase. Olivia, body skewered by lances, beautiful face lost in a torrent of blades and handles. Olivia, chopped to pieces by an ax, cleaved into portions of what once made her whole. Olivia, lying still in the cold ground, skin burnt and flesh sizzling as static electricity warped the air, flames like pillars shooting up around her. Olivia, looking in his direction with a helpless gasp, Olivia, reaching out her hands to him calling for help, Olivia, running and dancing as if her life depends on it (it does), Olivia, Olivia, Olivia—

" _Henry!"_ she cried out. "Henry, Henry, calm down!"

Then Henry's dream would end, because that was all they were to start with: dreams. "But," he gasped, not yet fully aware of himself, " _but they feel so real."_

"I know," she murmured. In the darkness of their room, he could still feel her warmth and sense her light, especially when she reached out to steady his trembling hands with her own. "I know it feels real, but it _isn't._ I promise it's not."

"Olivia—"

"I'm right here, Henry. Do you see?" She took his hand and pressed it against her chest, where through the thinness of her shirt he could feel her beating heart. Its rhythm pulsed against him, and he shut his eyes to focus harder on her warmth. "Nothing happened. We're okay. It's fine."

"I-I'm—" Henry wanted to diffuse the tension with a joke, but he couldn't muster the courage— "I'm _sorry."_

"Don't be. It's okay. I'll stay right here with you until you calm down, alright?"

"Alright."

And he calmed down. Not immediately, of course, because he was scared that this, too, was a dream—that he would wake up and Olivia wouldn't be there, or worse, that she was never there to begin with. Yet moments passed and she remained, upright and serene as she promised she'd be. The two of them were naturally nervous people, with odd habits here and there, but when it came down to it, she was far more stable than he could ever hope to be.

He drowned in her presence, hoping her heart could outweigh his—that the reality could drown out the nonsense in his head. "The electricity feels real," he murmured, voice cracking from exhaustion.

She hummed softly. "I'm sure it does."

"No, not the—not the electricity in my dreams."

He explained his dreams to her many times before, and how they both had powers and weapons and abilities of their own, ("Sounds like one of those JRPGs," she commented once) but this was different. Though he couldn't see it, Olivia's face scrunched up into a confused knot. "What do you mean?"

"The electricity. You." Henry wrested his hand away from her—gently, of course—only to take _her_ hand, instead, and press it against his cheek. His eyes fluttered at her tender caress. "You're a dream."

She laughed, fingers curled around the shape of his face. "But I'm real, silly."

He smiled. "Even better."

Then she reached out, bringing his face closer to hers until their lips smashed together clumsily, but she laughed through it all and kept kissing until she made her mark. He couldn't resist the giggles rising in him, so he didn't. His voice drowned in hers until she stole his breath away, again, and again, and again, and again—

"Olivia," Henry gasped in between kisses. "Hey, whoa. It's late, shouldn't we get back to sleep—"

"Sorry," Olivia mused, not sounding apologetic in the least. "I just couldn't help it. You're so beautiful, Henry."

"Look who's talking." He kissed her again, laughing when she accidentally poked him in the ribs in an attempt to bring him closer. "I love you."

She didn't respond right away, instead continuing to kiss him until they both went breathless, gasping for air, hands curiously exploring each other's body in the dark. There was a heat rushing through them now, but she cooled it down with a softer, gentler peck to his cheek, chest rising and falling in sheer happiness at simply having him around. "I love you, too," she muttered into his chest as she slowly curled against him. "I love you now and forever."

 _I'll love you in your dreams, too,_ went unsaid, but Henry heard it, nonetheless. Yes, for all his horrific dreams about him and her in a fantasy setting, he also had the same visions where they sat underneath willow trees, reading stories to each other until the words became engraved in their hearts. Those dreams where he saved her with his magic, and she inspired him with her dance. Those dreams where he got down on one knee and proposed, and some kid with light in his hair and stars in his eyes would run up and call him _Dad_ and call her _Mom_ and there'd be laughter intermingled with blades clashing. Those dreams where the world started and ended, only to start and end— _again._

The dreams were horrific, but also wonderful, amazing, tangible, and _real._ Henry felt it deep in his heart that the dreams were more than what they seemed, but he wouldn't analyze them too deeply, because he still wanted to feel their pull.

He wanted to feel the gravity of his _soul_ , attracted to Olivia in every way possible.

Like physical. He accepted things as they were (the darkness would always breed nightmares, even if he wished it weren't so), and brought her in even closer—to the point where her breath got lost in the bones of his chest, her eyelashes fluttered against his clothes, and she inhaled his scent of dust and lavender all at once.

He kissed the crown of her head and sighed.

Even if this was a dream, he never wanted it to end.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Any kudos, comments, bookmarks, etc. are appreciated. Stay safe and keep being awesome!!


End file.
